The newspaper is seeking documents and access to public records related to the Dec. 21-22 ice storm.

Under the state’s FOIA law, public entities have five days to respond to a request. They can request an additional 10-day extension, which both the city of Lansing and BWL did in response to FOIAs emailed Dec. 30.

The city’s extension said it would respond by Jan. 21; the records were received Thursday. BWL did not cite a date in an email received by the State Journal Jan. 9; the records still have not been received.

When BWL requested the 10-day extension, the maximum allowed under the law, officials appear to have incorrectly calculated when their FOIA response was due.

BWL officials said in a letter they believe the response is due Jan. 27. However, BWL did not notify the State Journal of that date until Wednesday.

Lansing City Attorney Janene McIntyre said due dates for the city and BWL should be identical, and said she notified Ekren of that Thursday.

BWL’s extension was requested in an email that indicated a formal letter was mailed Jan 7. That formal letter never arrived at the State Journal. Smiljana Lazic, the utility’s assistant Freedom of Information Act coordinator, sent an electronic copy of that letter Wednesday which said BWL will provide the “non-exempt” records no later than Jan. 27. That would be 13 business days.